Success.....No Magic Formula

Nearing her 15th year, Lakota continues to defy the odds. A warrior's spirit has always lived within her, from the time she was a six-week-old pup fearlessly challenging her 16 littermates.

That same fight helped her overcome profound physical struggles, taking her from a dog who could hardly stand to one who can now wrestle with her much bigger brother, Sultan. Watching her tumble on the stairs or knuckle when walking was heartbreaking, but her spirit has never been broken.

Her determination is what pushed me forward to learn about therapeutic manipulation, supplements, heat, laser therapy, and custom braces. Her trust and strength through it all are a source of pride. There are still bad days, and her achy joints are a reminder of the passage of time. If her early life could be changed—from her food to her training—it would be. But her true love and trust shines through now.

Lakota has adapted to her fading senses, learning our sign language to bridge the silence and showing slight improvement in her vision from a special supplement. The love and bond between us is sacred to me, a deep, soul-to-soul connection that is a source of blessedness. Choosing her from a litter of 17 wasn't my decision alone; she chose me, too. There is no purer love than the one you learn from adopting a dog.